The FairCom database offers Flex agencies an unparalleled combination of reliability, ease of use, accessibility, and value. The FairCom database server requires minimal maintenance while allowing agencies to maximize the benefits of their Flex system. See the full PDF case study here.
Industry-leading database technology
For more than three decades, FairCom has provided Flex software with the most intuitive and cost-effective database administration technology on the market. Flex customers benefit from FairCom’s 40-year history of database expertise and a fully ANSI-compliant SQL database that requires minimal administration. With exceptional stability and efficiency, FairCom DB offers Flex customers the ability to achieve a much higher return on investment and lower total cost of ownership.
FairCom DB is a commercial "developer’s database” that is delivered directly to independent software vendors (ISVs) like Motorola Solutions that design applications around it. As a result, many end users do not realize they are interacting with FairCom technology daily. For example, anyone who has recently used a MasterCard to make a purchase, updated their computer’s Adobe software, tracked a package shipped by FedEx, or taken a flight in the United States has benefited from FairCom functionality.
Convenient access to data
As a 100% ANSI-compliant Structured Query Language (SQL) database, FairCom DB allows agencies to access critical data conveniently. FairCom enables data access through industry-standard application protocol interfaces (APIs), including .NET, ODBC, PHP, and JDBC. In addition, Flex customers can utilize virtually any third-party data mining tools, including SAP Crystal Reports, Tableau, and PowerBI.
Flex’s schema for the database is built within the application, allowing agencies to easily write reports in CSV or Excel. Users can also click on any field in Flex to see the table and field name, simplifying the act of writing reports.
Intuitive administration
FairCom DB is designed to be a zero-administration solution. Because the database is developed cohesively with the Flex application and deployed as a completely integrated solution, the administration and maintenance requirements are minimal. Once FairCom DB is installed, it runs behind the scenes. This means that agencies only need to interact with the Flex application, whereas agencies using other databases often must interact with both their database and the application. This means there is no need for a dedicated or specialized database administrator.
Because other databases must be purchased, installed, maintained, upgraded, and supported separately from the software application, they often come with a higher total cost of ownership. With FairCom’s integration within Flex, users have a single point of contact through Motorola Solutions for purchasing and licensing. In fact, all Faircom database purchase and license costs are included as as a part of the initial purchase and maintenance costs of the Flex suite.
Often, agencies that have to maintain a database component in addition to a software component don’t know where to turn for technical support. Because FairCom offers a consolidated solution, users can look to Motorola Solutions for all of their support needs. The FairCom server is engineered to automatically perform backups and can do so even while applications are running. It also boasts a wide array of stability features to ensure that critical data remains secure in the event of a system failure. FairCom has a 99.999% measured uptime—which means customers experience less than a fraction of 1% downtime. In fact, many Flex customers measure its uptime in years, and FairCom’s database is designed to run without agency personnel needing to make adjustments.
Additionally, the FairCom database enables users to maximize the functionality of the Flex suite, offering better protection against data corruption and more efficient interface operations. Flex’s database architecture provides agencies with increased flexibility and performance, as well as improved compatibility with advanced NG9-1-1 requirements through the ability to collect wireless call data.
Additional advantages
Value
Unlike other databases, the integration between the Flex application and the FairCom DB eliminates the additional licensing, support and upgrade costs that come after a database is implemented. As a result, agencies using FairCom are able to achieve a lower total cost of ownership and higher ROI.
Stability
FairCom DB is extremely scalable, which means that as an agency’s needs grow, so does the database’s ability to handle additional demands with minimal upgrades. FairCom is a high-throughput database that allows for very fast transaction rates with modest hardware and no DBA resource requirements. In comparison, most competitors require their customers to purchase, configure and maintain a costly separate database solution. In some cases, these outside customers even need to build out a cluster with multiple nodes to achieve the same throughput and reliability offered by a single FairCom DB instance. Investing in a FairCom database allows agencies to invest in a simple, stable solution for their data.
With more than 40 years of expertise in developing databases and data management technologies, FairCom customers benefit from partnering with a highly specialized company where all of its resources are focused on helping companies reliably store and access mission-critical data.
Efficiency
FairCom is a cross-platform database, so whether an agency uses Flex on Windows or Linux, database management and operations are standardized. The way in which it is integrated into the Flex application allows users to perform instantaneous searching across multiple tables directly from entry screens. Full integration allows for direct access to business logic, ensuring faster searches. FairCom is also a high-performance database that requires limited archiving, adding to the overall system efficiency.
For more information about Flex, visit: www.motorolasolutions.com/flex
